Heater and wiper for windshields



Jan. 5, 1937. K. KNIGHQT 2,067,011

HEATER AND WIPER FOR WINDSHIELDS Filed Aug 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l MIM IN 165' TOE Ma k; c zz wzz Jan. 5, 1937. 'QKKN GHT 2,067,011

HEATER AND WIPER FOR WINDSHIELDS Filed Aug. 28, 1934 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 5, 1937. ,K,; N.GHT 2,067,011

HEATER AND WIPER FOR WINDSHIELDS Filed Aug. 28, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 QQZJ 1 v 40 4; v 6L5 A 5 4% 1 10 $3 Id all. I v

I INVZ'NTOE ma/mm Patented Jan. 5, 1937 HEATER AND WIPER non WINDSHIELDS Charles Kelley Knight, Upper Darby, lEa.

Application August as, 1934, Serial No. 741,213

6 Claims. (ci. 219- 19) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a heater and wiper for Windshields, and has for one of its objects to improve generally the construction of devices of this character in order to enhance the emciency thereof.

In my investigation and study of this art I have discovered that to successfully remove ice formations from a windshield of a vehicle during a sleet or snow storm it is absolutely necessary to maintain the heating device in contact with the ice formations and to melt the ice over an area equal to the full length of the heater and wiper and the distance travelled in a complete stroke thereof.

Heretofore many heaters have been installed 'on the inside of Windshields but the differences in the expansion between the inside and outside surfaces of the windshield glass often causes the latter to crack or break. This is a serious disadvantage and the thermal emciency is very low. In the use of heaters generally that'are installed on the outside of Windshields, the heating element is invariably housed or covered by a casing or backer which extends considerably This also is a serious disadvantage because after a short'time the casing will contact with secondary ice formations at the sides of the area being cleaned-so that the swing of the heater will be gradually shortened and finally stopped or said casing, or the wiper will ride upon other secondary ice formations at the top and bottom of said area, especially the top, which will prevent contact of the heating element with any of the ice formations so that the heater is useless. And if the-heated area be less than that covered by the wiper, the latter will ride upon the ice around the edges of the heated area and thus fail to wipe the moisture oif of any of the heated area.

It is therefore an object of my invention to overcome these disadvantages by providing a holder for the heating element and wiper which will be thick enough to provide the desired rigidity to maintain the parts of the heating element in the proper plane for contact with the outer face of the windshield glass or ice formations thereon, yet thin enough to be heated by the heating element to prevent the formation of ice thereon and to arrange the parts of the heating element so that the entire working surface of the heater, even beyond the ends of the wiper will be heated to prevent the accumulation of secondary ice formations in the path of travel of the ends of the device and the provision of exposed portions of the heating element at the sides or edges of the holder to prevent-the ac cumulation of secondary ice formations in the path of travel of the sides of the device.

Another object of the present invention is to so construct the combined heater and wiper that it may be readily and quickly attached to or removed from the usual windshield cleaner without the use of tools of any kind, and since the usual windshield cleaner is provided with some kind of tension means to hold the cleaner against the windshield glass it becomes'unnecessary to provide separate or additional pressure means for or as a part of the device described herein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater and Wiper for Windshields including a rigid holder, acompressible wiper located in the longitudinal center of the holder and preferably terminating just short of the ends of the holder and a heating element comprising two units, one at each side of the wiper with portions extending beyond both sides of the material of the holder'in which said units are mounted, whereby portions thereof, in particular or especially, extend beyond the sides of the holder for contact with any ice formations .at. the ends of the swing of the device to positively prevent the accumulation of secondary ice formations which would, if formed, gradually shorten the swing of the device and finally bring the same to a standstill since the mechanism which reverses the swing of a windshield cleaner is actuated only at the far end of a complete stroke. It might be well to state at this time that wherever the words swing" or stroke are used herein it has reference to any to and fro movement of a windshield cleaner whether in the arc of a circle or in a straight line.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the units of the heating element relative to the wiper that it is unnecessary to either electrically or heat insulate said wiper from the said units of the heating element other than the proper spacing thereof.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the parts' that the wiping edge or surface of the wiper is not quite in the same plane with but extends slightly beyond the working surface of the'heating, element when the device is not in use, said extending part being only sulficient that the usual pressure of a windshield cleaner will squeeze-the wiper and compress it enough to permit the heating unit to contact the surface of the windshield under pressure of the windshield cleaner.

' attachment.

Another object of the invention is to stamp or otherwiseform the heating element from a flat sheet or plate of metal so fashioned as to produce two or more circuitous sections or units, the elements of which project longitudinally, laterally or obliquely relative to the holder. While I prefer that the heating element directly contact the ice formations or the outer surface of. the windshield, while in use, said heating element may be covered by a fiat metal plate which will be heated by the heating element adjacent thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heating element including two units each unit having a sinuous or zig-zag formation whereby the maximum possible surface will contact the surface of the windshield glass or ice formations thereon.

. Another object of the invention is to arrange the straight strands of the zig-zag parts of the unit so that those of one unit will be in endwise alignment with those of the other unit,,or so that those of one unit will be out of endwise alignment with those of the other unit.

Another object of the present invention is to construct the heater so that it will or will not tilt from one side to the other during the to and fro movements to permit one unit of the heating element to be raised in temperature while the other unit is melting ice or snow.

Another object of my invention is to provide several methods of attaching the heating element to the holder.

Another object of the invention is to prevent ice from forming on the wiper.

A further object of this invention is to slightly warm the wiper and the space it occupies so as to prevent the formation of ice thereon or therein.

A still further object of the invention is to use the device regardless of the length of the regular cleaner or squeegee; and with or without removing the latter.

With these and other ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:.-

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the rear or inside face of a windshield showing a windshield cleaner-of ordinary or usual construction with a'conventional operating means having my improved heater and wiper attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation or edge view of my combined heater and wiper and a portion of a windshield cleaner to illustrate-the manner of I Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, Ma portion of the heater and wiper per se, illustrating a modification. 1

Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates what I term as secondary ice formations and the way in which they accumulate.

Fig 5 is a considerably enlarged end view of my heater and wiper illustrating its application ]J to the blade of a windshield cleaner.

od of connecting 'the clips or hangers to the holder of the device.

Fig. 7 is a view of the working face of another form of the heater embodying my invention.

Fig. 8 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the same with a porof Fig. 8.-

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a modification.

Fig. 12 is a view, on a reduced scale, of the working face of the heater shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a face view of a heating element of slightly different formation from that shown in Figs. '7 and 12.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary face view of another form of heating element.

Fig. 15 is also a fragmentary face view of a further modification.

Fig. 16 is a similar view of a still further modification.

Fig. 17 is a transverse sectional view of a heater arranged to tilt sidewise during its operation.

Figs. 18, '19 and 20 are sectional views illustrating various ways of mounting the heating element on the holder.

Fig. 21 is a sectional view showing a modified form of squeegee assembly.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, l0 represents the glass portion of a vehicle windshield, window or the like, which is suitably glazed in a frame II, the top rail of which is herein illustrated.

For purposes of description, a conventionally illustrated windshield cleaner operating motor 12 is shown as mounted upon said frame and said operating motor means may be actuated electrically, by vacuum, or otherwise for operating the cleaner which, as herein shown only for purposes of illustration, includes an arm I3 for oscillation or reciprocation across the glass portion of the windshield, said am having sumcient inherent resiliency that its outer end will be normally urged towards the windshield glass or provided with separate means to accomplish this result. On the arm is suitably mounted a cleaner blade 14 including a rubber or other flexible tionof ice on the glass or the removal of such I formations therefrom. I have discovered that the accumulations of ice can be completely melted under some conditions or partially melted to such an extent that itpractically breaks up the ice and loosens it from the glass permitting the resulting ice particles and ice water or moisture to be wiped aside. I have also discovered that if the ice particles or ice water is wiped to one side there is produced sometimes secondary ice formations which must be continuously removed or the heating device will become ineffective and useless. t

I have also found that under most conditions it is necessary to provide an extended heating surface and actually said heating surface 'should be just as long although preferably slightly longer Strands on the convolutions of the other fillet as illustrated in Fig. 3.

than the wiper and should be substantially the full length of the heater; that the heating element must be in contact with the ice to be effective, wherefore there must be sufficient rigidity in the device to hold it against the windshield; that the holder for the heating element must have as little material therein as possible, or in other words, it should be thin enough that it can be sufiiciently heated by the heating element to pre vent the accumulation of ice and snow formations thereon which would slow down the operation to such an extent that the heater will become ineffective or actually stop the operation thereof so that it would be useless and might even damage the windshield glass. Portions of the heating element must extend beyond the sides of the holder to prevent the production of or to actually remove any secondary ice formations at the ends of the swing of the device.

For accomplishing the objects and results herein outlined, I provide a heater and wiper ill including a holder I8 of suitable material so fashioned as to provide a long and relatively wide but thin body which preferably has a groove l9 extending the full length or nearly the full length thereof, along the longitudinal central portion, thereby providing a space for the spreading and functioning of the wiper to be presently described, when the same is compressed. The formation of the groove l9 produces a slightly projecting fillet 20 at each side thereof to support the units of the heating element 21. r

The heating element is composed of a suitable length of uncovered wire having two portions bent back and forth in sinuous or zig-zag fashion in the same plane to provide two units 22 and 23joined together by a strand 24 of said wire whereby said unitsare electrically connected in series and constitute an integral complete heating element having extended effective area so that the maximum possible wire surface can be utilized for melting ice formations.

The heating element thus formed is mounted upon, fixed to or carried by the inner or working surface of the holder. In other words, each unit ofthe heating element is mounted upon the inner or working surface of a fillet and covers l the convolutions are embedded'in the material of the holder or set in transverse slots 25 in each fillet and when in place said straight strands of the convolutions on one fillet may be in endwise alignment withthose on the other fillet as shown in Fig. -l, or the strands of the convolutions on one fillet may be in staggered relation to the able conductor 28 leading from a source of electrlcal supply may be temporarily attached to the binding post for supplying electricity to the heating element.

A plurality of U-shaped clips or hangers 29 are carried by the holder I] and ,as shown in Fig. 6,

- and the cross bar of each hang-er may be embedded in the material of the holder and fastened in place by a screw 30. These hangers are long enough to accommodate thesqueegee l5 and a portion of the backer E6 of the windshield cleaner M and may be held in place on the cleaner by screws 3i having knurled heads, which screws are passed through arms of the-hangers and engage the metal backer of the cleaner to clamp the heating device thereon in front of the squeegee whereby the heating device will contact the outer surface of the windshield glass in place of the squeegee portion of the cleaner. Any other suitable fastening means may be used.

The other end 32 of the heating element or the wire from which said element is formed is electrically connected with one of the hangers 29, for instance, the uppermost hanger, as shown in Fig. 6, thus grounding the other side of the heating element. In the longitudinal center of the holder is formed a slot 33, preferably having both ends terminating short of the contiguous ends of the holder and said longitudinal slot communicates with the groove l9 and is to receive the wiper 34, so that the ends of the latter will terminate adjacent or short of the ends of the heating device. By reference to Fig. 1, it

will be particularly noted that one end of said Reference will now be had to Fig. 4, wherein the windshield glass is illustrated as having what I term a primary ice formation 35 thereon, an area 36 of which has been melted and wiped aside. In the use of ordinary heaters, as the ice water is wiped aside said ice water will again freeze and producev secondary ice formations 31 at the ends of the strokes ofjthe cleaner and like- .wise the ice water left at the top and especially at the bottom of the cleaned area will again freeze and produce other secondary ice formations 38. As the secondary ice formations 31 accumulate or grow the casing of the heater will strike said secondary ice formations and stop the heating device and the mechanism carrying the same short of the complete stroke of the cleaner and heating device. Therefore the space being wiped or cleaned is gradually decreased and finally the strokes of the cleaning device will be shortened to such an extent that the reversing mechanism will not be actuated and the cleaner and heater will remain stationary and the area which has been cleaned will soon be again covered with the primary ice formation. Where the heating element is of less lengt than the squeegee or wiper, as soon as the secondary ice formations are produced due to the ice water again freezing, said squeegee or wiper will ride upon said secondary ice formations 38 and lift the heating device away from the surface being cleaned, thus reducing the efficiency of the device to such an extent that even the primary ice formations will be melted.

The construction of my heater overcomes all of these disadvantages since it melts the ice on a surface greater than that which is actually wiped and if any secondary ice formations are produced during the stroke of the cleaner in one direction, said secondary ice formations will be melted during the return stroke so that the cleaner can always make complete strokes and will remain in contact with the ice formations 34, these elements, and in fact the entire device,

may be of any suitable length relative to the ordinary or regular cleaner to which the device is to be attached. This is possible because the squeegee of the regular cleaner is then spaced from the surface being cleaned by the heater and wiper.

In Figs. '7 to 10 inclusive, I have shown the heating element 40 as produced from a fiat plate or sheet of metal, stamped or otherwise fashioned to provide circuitous or sinuous strands 4i and these are preferably separated by a wide space into two units or sections 42 and 43 joined-at one end by a connecting piece id.

Instead of running the strands longitudinally as illustrated in Fig. 7, they may run obliquely as in Fig. 13, where the strands in both units extend in the same direction, or they may be run in opposite oblique directions in the two units as shown in Fig. 14. Again the strands may extend laterally as in Figs. 15 and 16 and the ends of the strands may be square as in Fig. 15 or round as in Fig. 16. Of course it is to be understood that the corners and edges of any of the parts of the heating element may be of any suitable shape or configuration and they may be beveled if desired.

Any of the above mentioned heating elements 7 can be used and secured to the holder 55 of insulating material, either by molding the same in place or attaching them with suitable fastening devices. For the purpose of securely holding the heating elements in place and making the structure rigid, the edges of said heating elements can be turned up at right angles about the edges of the holder and also about a groove 46 inthe longitudinal center of said holder, as in Fig. 18, or said edges of the heating element may be bent at an acute angle as in Fig. 19, or in an obtuse angle as in Fig. 20.

The holder B carries suitable binding posts 41 which are electrically connected with the heating element in any adequate manner, as by conductors 48.0ne of which is shown in Fig. 9. Also said holder has hangers 49 attached thereto for removably mounting the heater on a windshield wiper or other satisfactory support.

A slot 58 is formed in the holder 55, preferably in the longitudinal center thereof, for the reception of the wiper iii and, as before stated, the ends of said wiper preferably terminate short of the ends of the holder so as to be practically enclosed within the area of the heating element.

Substantially the same results can be obtained by placing a thin imperforate cover plate $2 of metal over the heating element 53 as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. In such a case it is preferable that said heating element be set in a recess or compartment in the holder 5d so as to be spaced from the cover plate and, if desirable, a sheet of insulating material 55 may be disposed between said heating element and the holder body. The heating element may be any of the forms herein described and the balance of the heater structure is the same as set forth in connection with the other types of heaters outlined above.

In Fig. 17, I have shown a heater in which the holder 56 has two external angular working faces 51 and 58 on which are mounted the respective units 59 and 6!] of the heating element 6| with the wiper'62 between said units. A heater constructed in this manner will tilt until the unit 59 of the heating element rests on the surface 63 of the wind shield when the structure is moving towards the left, with reference to Fig.

17, but when moving in the opposite direction' said heater will tilt until the unit 60 of the heating element engages the surface of the windshield.

As illustrated in Fig. 21, the holder 45 has its longitudinal central groove 63 dovetailed to receive a similarly shaped squeegee backer 6 3 in which the squeegee 65 is fixedly mounted. The

squeegee and its backer is slidably mounted in the groove 63 and may be removed and replaced for renewal or repairs.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that dur ing the time one unit of the heating element is being cooled by its contact with the cold surface, the other unit can be warming up ready to accomplish its ice melting action.

The margins of the heating element or the cover plate may be flush with the edges of the holder or may extend beyond the edges of said holder.

By utilizing a heating element with an extended flat surface I have found from actual tests, thatsnow and ice will be quickly melted and the efficiency of the heater is greatly increased due, principally, to the enlarged heating surface.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:-

1. A heater and wiper of the class described,

between the units and substantially of the same length as but not longer than said units.

2. A heater and wiper of theclass described, comprising an elongated rigid, holder with a longitudinal groove in its inner face, a pair of fillets produced by the formation of said groove, sinuous heating units carried by the faces of said fillets and extending the greatest possible length thereof with portions projecting beyond both sides of both fillets and said heating units being connected together at one end, means at the other end of one of the units for connection with a source of electrical supply, meanswhereby the device may be detachably mounted upon a windshield cleaner and said means being connected with the other end of the other unit for electrically grounding one side of the heating element thus completing the electrical circuit, and a wiper mounted in the holder between the units.

3. A heater and wiper for Windshields. comprising a holder having spaced apart slightly pro- Jecting fillets, a sinuous heating element divided into two units mounted on the fillets and extending substantially the entire length of said fillets to provide a maximum heating surface and with fillets particularly for the removal of secondary ice formations in the path of travel of the device, said holder being thin enough to be heated sufflciently throughout by the heating element to prevent the lodgment of ice on the holder, means carried by the holder and connected with one end of the heating element whereby said heating element may be connected to a source of electrical supply, means to permit attachment of the device to a windshield cleaner and to a portion of which means the other end of the heating element is connected for electrically grounding said heating element, and a wiper between the units of the heating element and of substantially the same length as but not longer than the units of said heating element.

4.iA heater and wiper for Windshields, comprising a holder, U-shaped hangers carried by said holder and adapted to straddle the blade of a windshield cleaner having a metal portion or back, screws threaded through portions of said hangers to engage the metal portion of said cleaner blade for clamping the holder on said cleaner blade, a heating element consisting of a plurality of convolutions in the same plane carried by the inner face of said holder and divided into two units spaced apart longitudinally with portions projecting beyond the sides of said holder, an end of one unit being fastened to one of the hangers for grounding one side of the heating element, the other end of said heating element being provided with means for attachment to a circuit wire, and a wiper mounted in the holder between the units of the heating element.

5. A heater and wiper for Windshields comprising a holder, a pair of heating elements mounted on a face of said holder, each of said heating elements presenting a broad side outermost for engagement with the outside surface of a windshield and having portions extending beyond the side edges of the holder said heating elements being in the same plane, and means to connect said heating elements in series with a source of electricity.

6. A windshield cleaner comprising a holder having laterally spaced fillets, heating elements mounted on said fillets with their broadsides in a plane paralleled to a windshield glass and having portions projecting beyond the side edges of said'fillets, and a wiper mounted in the holder between the fillets and of approximately the same length as said heating elements;

CHARLES KELLEY KNIGHT. 

